Rehabilitate the Villainess

98 – Imperial Feast

The day the Imperial Feast begins. I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, so I was on my way to the starting point of the festival in a carriage with Shael alone.

“Why is that?”

“No.”

Shael looked at me and asked what was wrong with her. A plan I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I was very nervous because the Imperial Festival would be the first step in the plan.

‘There’s no magic tower lord and crown prince, right?’

I’m sure you left for ingredients for a cure that wouldn’t be made during the Imperial Festival.

So I was relieved. If you enjoy the festival with Sael and achieve your desired goal, it will be all right.

“What about your father?”

“Did you say father?”

To call Duke Ezran your father? Sael, who is not embarrassed by my questioning, is just amazing.

“Looks like you’ll be back soon. I think we can see it after the Imperial Festival is over.”

I was looking forward to that time too. If the memory I saw after breaking Clie’s bracelet is true, Duke Ezran would be my father.

At the same time, I felt sorry. If it was enough to save the life of the dead, what on earth would he have offered to the demon lord?

‘You can tell just by looking at the gloomy Baslet family’s mansion, which is different from what you’ve seen in your memory.’

The mother of Eran Baslett, who existed in memory but now does not exist. As soon as she thought of this, her head became cluttered and sad, and she stopped thinking.

For now, it was time to focus on Shael.

“Are you okay?”

“⋯?”

“A relationship with my father.”

There was no way it would be okay. Every time I see it, the awkward atmosphere makes my breath choke.

Even before she became possessed in the novel, she had lived with her aunt all her life, so it was not easy for her to be a parent.

That was a problem to be overcome in the future. When I suddenly thought of this, I remembered what had happened before I was possessed.

‘I wonder if her aunt is doing well.’

I hope you’re doing well. Because of longing, her head became complicated and sad, so she soothed her loneliness by looking at Shael.

After spending so much time, the wagon’s vibration stopped. It meant that we had finally arrived at our destination.

* * *

Since the Imperial Festival was such an important event, the whole area near the imperial palace was busy preparing.

Wealthy merchants rented seats to do business, and families borrowed seats to prepare things that made use of their own characteristics.

It was the same with the Baslet family and the Azbel family. Shael and I were at the building where the servants of the Baslet family were preparing.

“I heard that they are famous for swordsmanship.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“⋯But why are you selling food and not swords?”

“An aristocratic lady from a famous family of magic also likes dessert more than magic.”

Shael shut her mouth. She took Shael, who was glaring at me, and entered the building.

Maids bowing. Next, I brought the ingredients and made cotton candy for Shael.

“Would you like to try it?”

“I don’t think it will taste as fluffy…”

Despite complaining, Sael couldn’t stand the sweet scent that emanated from her. Since she was a Sael with a crush on sweets, the outcome was obvious for her.

“Oh, it’s delicious.”

“It will be so delicious that it will go viral.”

She was Sael nodding her head in agreement, but she was also Sael tilting her head.

Because selling cotton candy for a day couldn’t exceed the cost of renting this huge building.

“Obviously food isn’t everything. Otherwise, we would not have rented a building this large.”

“So what?”

“Please see for yourself.”

Beside the simple food stall, there was a place that looked like a kind of gambling hall.

Shael may have raised her eyes, but she could not help it for the finances of the Baslet family, who had recently become impoverished.

Because there’s no way you can make a lot of money in a short period of time like this.

“Doesn’t the best lover choose during the Imperial Festival?”

“So what?”

“This is a place to bet and bet money to match it. The Baslet family will bet a lot of money on us.”

Shael, who was eating her third piece of cotton candy, grabbed her hand. She felt no pain at all, so she let out a hearty laugh as she walked out of the building.

“Now let’s go and get ready.”

It was difficult to walk due to the crowds, but thanks to the rental of the building in the center, there was no need to walk far.

Then I saw familiar faces that I had seen at the social church. Among them, the first to catch my eye was Denes of the Duke of Anyden.

While enjoying a festival with a woman who seemed to be his spouse, he approached me as soon as he saw me.

“Isn’t this Young master Eran?”

“Nice to meet you. You wouldn’t have forgotten what you bet on.”

“hahahaha, of course. The winner is decided, so you better be prepared.”

He left after talking with a confident expression. When I looked around, there was a square with a size that would not be enough to describe it as gigantic.

It was a place that would soon eclipse the Empire’s true lover.

‘I must have won.’

I’m sure you can win. Even just looking at the novel, I could be sure of this because this event was treated as quite important.

From a stone statue that determines whether you are truly passionate in love, a sword that determines how clean your love is.

Not only that.

Items that can be used to measure love from the storage of the Imperial Palace will be used at the Imperial Festival.

There were so many treasures that I can’t remember properly, so even I wasn’t sure what would be used in the festival.

The only thing that is certain is that the most incredible things will be used.

That was the unique setting of the romance fantasy novel I possessed. A setting that prioritizes fun rather than probability.

However, I liked the setting because it was fun. So Sael and I also had the conviction that we would win the Imperial Festival in our hearts.

As I thought about the Imperial Festival, I felt Shael resting on my arm.

Did he feel uneasy about the bet with Denes? She opened her mouth to ease her worries.

“Don’t worry, we will definitely win.”

“I think so too.”

Shael sighed for a moment before continuing her words.

“It took a wish to get her down on her knees, but it didn’t seem to matter at all?”

“Isn’t it because they are foolishly sure that they will win?”

I had a little doubt while answering Sael’s words. It reminded me of Denes, who showed such a confident appearance.

‘It must be because of unfounded confidence?’

It must be so. Of course it will.

“It’s a deal that the Aniden duke’s family will manage the compensation for.”

Sael must have said it out of concern, but it was rather beneficial to me. If they manage the rewards, they’ll be able to steal more potions rather easily.

However, Sael’s words did not end there.

“I heard that the family of the Duke of Anyden helped with the preparations for the Imperial Festival?”

“Is it real?”

I caught my breath at Sael’s terrifying words. What if what Sael said was true?

I couldn’t rule out the possibility that Denes knew the details of the Imperial Festival.

“If the family helped the festival, shouldn’t they participate in the festival?”

“It doesn’t matter. Well, there is no good reward for winning.”

It was Shael’s answer that took his breath away. Although the reward this time was an unprecedented love potion, it was not a very important reward either.

I’ll make you inhale the elixir right away.

Even if you look only at the Imperial Festival rewards, not this time’s rewards, there were no rewards that would make people’s eyes shine.

It was a festival purely for amusement, so it was not a festival that emphasized fairness. It meant that Denes could participate in the festival.

‘Is this correct?’

If you lose a bet, you have to kneel down and grant your wish.

Of course, I, who have no conscience, won’t put it into action… But it will take a hit to my honor.

Not only that, but the Baslett family would lose money they were betting on.

Most importantly, the love potion could be taken away.

Is it ruined?

‘Even if it’s a festival to prove love, the story will be different if you know the contents in advance.’

It was only natural that at the Imperial Festival there was a competition where you could get good results through preparation.

On the other hand, I can’t quite remember the imperial festival in the novel. It was because I only read the part where Shael appeared.

Even if I had read it correctly, the contents of the Imperial Festival would have been changed by my intervention.

In other words, there was no answer.

I remembered Denes’ confident face from before. There was a reason I was so confident.

All I could do was hope that Sael and my love would be overwhelmingly huge.

“Do you think her hands and feet are shaking at the thought of the money she gambled on who will be the best lover in the empire?”

“⋯Not like that.”

“No. I read in a book that a trembling body is a side effect of gambling addiction.”

As if Shael was threatening me, he continued.

“In order to punish the gambling addict, I must forcefully lose the festival.”

“For anyone concerned about getting diabetes, I should stop cooking desserts.”

“⋯That’s not quite right.”

Listening to Shael’s chattering voice, I feel a little relieved. He also tugged at Sael’s cheeks, waiting for the imperial festival to begin in earnest.